1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system for producing a digital content and a program for use in the system. More particularly, the invention relates to a digital content production system and a digital content production program suitable for arranging information in a blank region present in a layout area in an easy-to-read layout without destroying layout consistency.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital content delivery systems for providing users with digital contents, such as news, have been available. In such a digital content delivery system, several digital contents are read from a content registration data base (hereinafter the data base is simply referred to as DB), the read digital content is edited, and the edited digital content is then delivered to a user. In the editing process of the digital content, the digital content is edited in a layout easy for users to view. As techniques available to do the layout, there are a document layout apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-69096 (hereinafter referred to as a first conventional art), and a learning-type information editing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-233709 (hereinafter referred to as a second conventional art).
In the first conventional art, each of a plurality of types of column structures has several rectangular shapes into which space of a page is segmented by randomly-arranged vertical and horizontal lines. A layout device searches for a single column or a composite column including a plurality of linked adjacent columns, appropriate for layout of each document, in accordance with a random document processing order. Several layouts result, in which a plurality of documents are organized in a plurality of column settings. A layout result assessment device sets a score to each layout result based on a document posting priority order of each document. A best layout result search device selects the layout result having the highest score. A printing device prints documents in which a plurality of documents is organized in the column setting in accordance with the best layout result.
In the second conventional art, a document storage unit stores document information to be provided in response to a request for viewing from a user, and a history storage unit stores history data of viewing linked with user information. The history data of viewing indicates viewing status by the user who has viewed the document information stored in the document storage unit. The history data of viewing corresponding to the user information and designated through an input unit is read from the history storage unit. The document information stored in the document storage unit is edited in accordance with the history data of viewing information.
In the layout process of the digital content, a variety of pieces of information forming the digital content (such as pictures and text) is arranged in a predetermined frame in a layout area. Depending on the digital content, information may not evenly be arranged, and a blank region containing no information arranged therewithin can occur in the layout area. The presence of a blank region in the layout area is not aesthetically pleasing. Efforts have been made to arrange information in a blank region. One known technique for arranging information in a blank region is, for example, a document automatic layout apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-60758 (hereinafter referred to as a third conventional art).
A blank region may occur in the layout area after a diversity of pieces of information forming the digital content is arranged in the layout area. The third conventional art modifies the font size of characters, the pitch of text, and the pitch of lines in text if the text is determined as being inappropriate in the blank area. The text is then arranged into the blank region.
In accordance with the third conventional art, text is arranged into the blank region by modifying the font size of characters, the pitch of text, and the pitch of lines. The digital content thus becomes different from an area where the blank region is present to the other area where no blank region is present. Often, this can destroy the layout consistency of the content.
The text to be arranged into the blank area is solely determined by details of the original digital content. Thus, there are times when text having a large number of characters is arranged into a small blank region or when text having a small number of characters is arranged into a large blank region. In the former case, the font size of characters, the text pitch, and the line pitch become excessively small only in the blank region in order to arrange the text in the blank region. Conversely, in the latter case, the font size, the text pitch, and the line pitch become excessively large only in the blank region. Layout consistency is thus extremely damaged.
This problem becomes pronounced when a digital content, such as news, is supplied to users. In this case, the digital content is selected and arranged on a page-by-page basis from a content registration DB. To improve the quality of service, an article having a higher level of importance is preferred to be posted on a page close to a front page. This method is typically adopted in paper-based publications, such as newspapers and magazines. If the document to be arranged into the blank region is fixed in a single manner, an article having a relatively low level of importance may be arranged on a blank region on a page close to a front page, or conversely, an important article may be arranged on a blank region on a page close to an end page. This causes the user difficulty in reading the text even though it is arranged in a blank page. Service quality can therefore be deteriorated.